Eventually I discovered Dr Lewis
http://www.cfsdiscovery.com.au/index.html from a taped lecture the Society was selling. I liked what I heard; he was at least hopeful. I had to wait 3 months to see him back in 2002. He's been able to help with the worst of it.
Hi Tony,
first of all I'd like to sincerely apologise for not acknowledging your post of the 11th August. Back then I was fumbling around the Forum not realising that I had to subscribe to a thread (to know when my post was answered by someone).
I'm still fumbling around, (but at least it's at home).
I was originally sent to Dr Danny Lewis by my GP a couple of years ago. His intitial consultation was very, very good & he went into great depth taking my health history. I was most impressed with that.
But not with the course he sent me to at Cedar Court Rehab. Their initial consultation was good, but as I have to work full-time I had to do the OT/PHYSIO etc after work. The physio insisted on ice on my lumbar back pain (which just made the pain from my 3 slipped lumbar discs worse). The 6 week course was not only too hard on my, then, low energy levels, but I was so appalled at the 10mins treatment & lack of care by the night physio, I quit after the second session, with the excuse that I couldn't make the round 3 hour trip by public transport (& getting home at around 8.00pm made it a 12 hour day (including my work time).
I saw him for a follow up, placed a formal complaint about the night staff at the Rehab Centre (who I might add sent me to watch some spinal film & then totally forgot about me, leaving me all alone in a gradually darkening & deserted building at night).
12 mths later when my FM pain/fatigue got worse again, my GP referred me back to him.
He said "unless I cut down my working hours & got some therapy he couldn't help me". I had already gone through this conversation on my initial visit saying I had to work full time to support myself and could not take time off work (or cut down my working hours).
So for the (then increased fee) of $230 (on the 3rd visit), he spent exactly 5 minutes saying he couldn't help me. I was annoyed that he wasn't willing to talk about my situation or offer some alternatives. I just did not have the money OR was in a position to cut my working hours. So I never went back to see him again.
At this stage, I am doing so well via diet, supplements/herbs & a few alternative therapies that I've put together through my own research/reading, that I am reluctant to seek any further specialist advice (except for my lumbar disc & heart problems).
I guess it all boils down to
money (or lack thereof) and the fact that I had taken so much time off work in 2004 & 2005 that I was at risk of losing my job (which would have been disastrous), if I kept taking time off.
He did suggest a meditation course, but I would have had to catch taxis there & back on a week night, so once again I had neither the money or energy to go to this. It would have worked out to be about $600 for the course & taxis, & at that time I didn't have $60 let alone $600.
But I must say, I am pleased that you had success with him, and you're doing much better these days. I hope that this success continues & you improve even more.
I suspect that when I last saw him, I was totally fed up with the medical establishment (except for my wonderful GP) that any consultation would have been reluctantly followed through.
You must have wondered why I didn't reply back in mid August.
Victoria
